


"I love you", and other codes worth cracking

by coldguts



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fluff, a bit of cheesiness mixed in there for good measure, oblivious edelgard and obviously smitten dorothea is my favourite dynamic, some light shenanigans with other students, these two haunt my every waking moment, warning for canon-typical violence. like battle wounds. but that's it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26294116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldguts/pseuds/coldguts
Summary: Five times Dorothea flirts badly with Edelgard, and the one time the Emperor finally gets it.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 8
Kudos: 133





	"I love you", and other codes worth cracking

**Author's Note:**

> A 5+1 fic is a fic-writing right of passage isn't it ????
> 
> I mostly just had a couple ideas for dumb scenes and was like wait. Hm. I should. I should write ONE OF THOSE anyway this fic is very silly and quickly written with no beta but hey that's what ao3 is for! I also just wanted to try writing something a bit more light-hearted for once.
> 
> Also tried connecting it into their canon development by tying their b-support into the first scene, and their a-support into the fifth!

_ One. _

“There’s no telling how life will go. Something could even spark between the two of us!” Dorothea laughed, and gave Edelgard a wink. 

It was just the two of them, tucked off to the side of the reception hall, table all to themselves. It was emptier than it should be mid-day, but the sun outside was high and the breeze was warm, and Dorothea supposed most people would rather be outside soaking such a rarity in. 

She, on the other hand, had a different source of warmth she'd rather be inching closer to.

“You and I?” The girl sitting across from her hummed. “Now that is an entertaining thought. If such an exciting future is in store, I look forward to it!”

Dorothea felt her heart swell in her chest. Maybe this far-fetched endeavour wasn’t as hopeless as she thought after all. The two of them were such close friends already, maybe all it needed was a sprinkle or two more of that signature Arnault charm for the object of her affections to come to the same realization about her. Maybe as soon as next week, the future Emperor of Adrestia would be walking hand-in-hand with a commoner girl- wouldn’t that be something!

She sighed warmly, leaning onto her hand, elbow propped up on the table. “Oh yeah? That's awfully sweet of you, Edie.” She kicked a foot forward, nudging it against the other girl’s under the table.

Edelgard offered a tame smile back. Dorothea made sure to make note of it for later, so she could properly compare it to past smiles, and store it in her database for use with future ones, so that she could someday come to understand exactly what each one meant. To be able to read someone with such accuracy, it’d be an excellent skill for a future wife to have, wouldn't it?

“Ah. My apologies Dorothea, it’s almost noon. I have to meet Hubert in the House common room sooner than I realized. Thank you, though, for your company this morning.”

She stood up to leave, and Dorothea mirrored her, following her along her path to the hall exit.

“Oh, Hubie! Anything I can help you two with? You know I’ll always make time for my dear Eagles.” She stuck her tongue out. “Though some are more dear than others.”

Edelgard waved a hand at her. “I appreciate the thought, but it’s related to private Empire matters. Though I do always admire your selfless intent.”

“Oh, Edie, I do believe my intent is more selfish than anything el-”

“Nonsense.” Edelgard stopped, turning to Dorothea and placing her hand on her shoulder. “You’re _always_ offering to help me with house matters. Don’t think that these good deeds go unnoticed. Take the rest of our day off to yourself, you more than deserve it” 

The serious, yet warm look in her eyes shot like lighting into Dorothea’s heart, the heat only exacerbated by the tingling spot where her hand had been touching her shoulder only moments ago.

She blinked once, and gone was Edelgard, just a hint of her red cape blowing in from the other side of the door she had exited. There, Dorothea stood frozen, still stuck in a smitten, yet addled trance.

Okay. Maybe everlasting bliss was a few more weeks off than she thought.

————

_Two._

The blood had long since cooled on her skin, but Dorothea wrinkled her nose in annoyance as the sun’s moving rays started to turn it sticky against her hair.

She laid (mostly) under the shade of a tree, hand dramatically brought to forehead, eyes closed- it was _precisely_ the kind of damsel-in-distress bait she knew a noble couldn’t resist.

She knew, on some level, this wasn’t the time for games. The houses were currently engaged in a capture-the-flag style mock battle, each team having their own large territory to protect the “capital” of, while also needing to sneak onto the other house’s and attack theirs. Dorothea had gotten stuck with Caspar defending the east border, next to the Lions, but the boy had run off into the other house’s territory as soon as the game started, gauntlets raised and yelling like a madman. She hadn’t seen him since, figuring his brashness had gotten him taken hostage, at the very least.

An hour in and only one intruder had tried to cross over her line, and the minor scuffle against Annette’s sometimes unreliable black magic had left her with a large scrape on her arm. It didn’t hurt in the slightest, and looked far more severe than it was in reality. 

Well… who _wouldn’t_ try to take advantage of an opportunity like this?

Dorothea blew a huff of annoyance against her bangs as more of the sun shifted, so that her closed eyes were caught under the light as well. 

Where was everyone? She had so much as figured that they had tossed her off to the least-threatened corner, considering her distaste for violence, but still, were the rest of them really that unconcerned with what could be going on over here? What if the boar prince himself had found this neat little passageway, and she had been left to defend it all by her lonesome-

Wait a second. Was that… _the clop of horse hooves?_ Dorothea’s breath caught in her chest as she stilled her body. It _had_ to be Edelgard, making the rounds to the borders like she had planned on in the strategy phase. She double checked, making sure each feature of hers was precisely in the position where she knew it would look the prettiest, and waited with baited breath for her for her knight in shining armour to whisk her away to safety, bridal-style.

“…Wasn’t Caspar tasked with defending this border? Hm, quite unfitting of a noble to abandon his post in the midst of battle, don’t you think? Excuse my frankness, but I’m not entirely surprised by such a display, considering his other lack of… subtleties. I’ll certainly be reporting this back to Edelgard. Who else was it with him? Petra and Edelgard took the capital, Bernadetta and yourself were previously on the west, w-”

No. Please, no, it couldn’t be.

“Oh my days, _Dorothea!”_

The sound of a sudden flurry of boots and weapons running frantically to the tree and clanking down around her, she reluctantly opened her eyes to meet the gaze of one Ferdinand von Aegir.

“…Ferdie, it’s-“

“ _Goddess_ , my dear Dorothea! What has happened to you?! Linhardt, please, healing magic at once!”

The green-haired boy trudged up to join them while Dorothea tried to prop herself up onto an elbow to see him better, but she was roughly pushed back down by a hand too strong for its own good.

“Lay down at once! We cannot have you expending any more energy in this state- look at all this _blood_. Oh, Goddess, how could you allow such a bright maiden to fall prey to violence!” Ferdinand wailed and Dorothea rolled her eyes internally. This one always did have a knack for theatrics.

“Calm down, Ferdinand. I need to know what’s actually wrong before I try anything. And it seems like she’s talking well enough.” Linhardt squatted down to take a closer look at her.

Dorothea sniffed and laughed awkwardly as she wracked her brain for an excuse as to why she was well enough to be left alone. What had she been _thinking_ , trying to pull this kind of half-witted display in the middle of an assignment? The chance of it working had been next to zero, even a fool could see that, but she had clearly been too wrapped up in the romantics of her daydream to plan in case of a mission abort. 

“L-listen, Ferdie. I got caught up in a little one-on-one with Annette, things got a teeny weeny bit messy, it’s fine! I’m fine, I-”

“It’s just as I suspected. She’s completely delirious. No time to waste, to Professor Manuela’s infirmary at once!”

“I swear, it’s hardly a scratch, I just got knocked down for a sec- AH!” She was suddenly cut off by that same rough hand worming it’s way under her back as she was hoisted up and thrown over Ferdinand’s left shoulder. “This is ridiculous! Ferdieeeeee!”

But her words fell on deaf ears as he was already racing back to his horse, jumping up with the lack of grace of a newborn foal, and kicking his steed into gear.

“Linhardt! Watch that border like a hawk, I know you have it in you, friend!” She supposed the mage’s cries of disagreement were lost to the wind as the two of them were already off, weaving through trees, arm wrapped tight around Dorothea’s waist as she bounced up and down, tossed like a mere sack of flour against his shoulder.

Stupid Ferdinand. If she were actually hurt, this experience would have sent her begging to be let in at the Goddess’s door rather than endure another second of such an advanced form of horse-led torture.

As they passed by the designated “capital” for the Eagles- a large pine tree in an otherwise deciduous forest- Dorothea pursed her lips as she finally caught view of the one she had waited for this whole time.

Edelgard’s back was to her as she fought viciously against both Felix of the Lions, and Lorenz of the Deer, the trio a blur of black, gold, red, and the silver of their blades. That girl really was something in battle, wasn’t she? If she had her say, Ferdinand would drop her right here on the ground with something nice to snack on; she’d be lying if she said the crazed scene in front of her didn’t have more entertainment appeal in that moment than any theatre show.

On her flank, Petra was going head to head with Leonie, and Edelgard spun around quick to help her block an arrow coming from Ignatz in the distance.

It was in that moment that time chose to move in slow motion and the two of them finally made eye contact, Dorothea giving her a bored wave and Edelgard sending her an utterly bewildered look back, as they continued galloping along wildly, until eventually the pair fell out of view. 

Dorothea let out a sigh to the winds and resigned herself, crossing her arms against Ferdinand’s back as they made the rest of their way to the infirmary. Only the most foolish in love would have concocted such an inane plan in the first place.

————

_Three._

“You look gorge, Thea. I’d never lie to you. Now go out there and get some emperor booty!”

Hilda bumped Dorothea’s hip with her own as she took one last long look in the mirror. 

Shedding her usual limited wardrobe for the night, she wore a long, burgundy gown with intricate black beading around the bottom hem and sleeves; nothing she could ever dream of personally affording, but one that was lent to her out of the kindness of House Goneril. It almost reminded her of a dress she’d have once worn on stage- though what was to follow could be considered her biggest role yet, couldn't it?

Tonight was the night. The ball that had loomed in anticipation all year now. If she didn’t tell Edelgard now, it would be too late, wouldn’t it? What was even the point? She couldn’t just spend the next five, ten years pining aimlessly, could she?

“You do too, Hil. Thanks again for getting ready with me, I needed that second eye for fashion around.” She flushed slightly. “And for… all the other things you’ve lent me for the occasion.”

Hilda smiled, and plopped down onto her bed, grabbing a handheld mirror to reapply her lipstick.

“It’s nothing off my back if it’s for the most gorgeous Black Eagle! Plus, how can I say no when it comes to yooooung looooove?” She drew out the last two words teasingly.

“Did _you_ ask anyone out for tonight, Hilda?”

“Me?” Hilda jumped up, slipping her lipstick down the front of her own pink and gold empire-waist gown. She took Dorothea’s hand in her own and linked their arms together as they exited Hilda’s dorm and strut down the path towards the ballroom. 

“Ya know, I did think about asking Marianne for a while there. But then poor Claude got rejected hard by Lorenz, so I promised me and him would have a girls night. Ugh, that guy is _such_ a jerk. Claude set up candles, tea, literally everything just to ask him! Ahhh, guess there’s always next time for my own chance at love. I wonder if…”

But Dorothea’s attention had been snatched away by something else. As they found their way into the ballroom, she was met by what had to be the Goddess herself designing her fate.

Edelgard. Beautiful, radiant Edelgard. By the entrance she stood alone, glass in hand, dressed in an all-black, decadently ornate military-style suit. If you asked her later in life, Dorothea would swear up and down in that moment she had a heart attack and rebirth, all in the blink of an eye.

“Go get her, girlie.” Hilda whispered into her ear, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before disappearing into the crowd to find the heartbroken Almyran.

Although she was barely ten feet away, she hadn’t spotted Dorothea yet, and she thanked the stars for that, since she was sure if approached in that moment, she wouldn’t be able to form the coherent words to say what she intended. Or any words for all for that manner. Brain function? Was that supposed to be something she was capable of?

The power, the grace, the _elegance_ dripping off the other girl, she was struck in that moment by the ability to truly see Edelgard as the future Emperor of Adrestia, for the first time.

_Her_ emperor. She was shaken further by the sudden realization that no matter Edelgard’s feelings towards her, she would walk into hell and back if it meant she could follow on this path beside her.

She was so lost in thought she didn’t even realize the danger that had strode right up to stare her in the face.

“You look lovely tonight, Dorothea.”

“E-Edie!” Dorothea exclaimed, gaze snapping down to meet the other girl's. With Dorothea in heels for the occasion, there was almost three quarters of a foot between them, yet she hardly registered the height difference. How could she, when the effect from that tiny package left her feeling like she had been shot in the heart with a Saggitae bolt?

“You just arrived? Did you come alone this evening?”

“Ah, I did. Hilda and I spent a liiiiiiittle longer than we should have getting ready. And you?”

Edelgard gave a slight smile, as if she was about to tell a secret. “Dimitri, Claude and I have been here since before the ball started, checking on preparations and greeting guests. Though to tell you the truth, I probably would have enjoyed myself more with the two of you.”

“Well, we couldn’t have the house leader being so garishly yet fashionably late, could we!” Dorothea let out a laugh, hoping her natural confidence would help cover up the nervousness she felt bubbling underneath. “Not like you would have needed the extra time getting ready anyway.” She winked. There, that was more like it!

This was the night. This was it, she was going to lay it all out, and see what happened, for better or for worse. 

She took a deep breath in, trying to steady her heart rate before diving into the first stage of her plan.

“Edie, would you maybe be interested in visiting the goddess tow-”

“Ah- my sincere apologies Dorothea. If you’ll excuse me for just one moment, it seems Hubert is calling me over. I’ll be right back” She turned, and strode over to the expanse of black fabric and dark vibes beckoning her over from the corner, slight annoyance for her retainer noticeable in speed of her gait.

Damn it. Maybe the Goddess wasn’t on her side after all.

She took the opportunity to subtly fish her pocket mirror and lipstick out of the bust of her dress to touch up (Hilda had some strange ideas when it came to fashion and practicalities, but this hack was certified _genius),_ blotting off the nervous sweat that had begun to form on her forehead as well.

It’s okay. They still had all evening, right?

“Apologies, Dorothea.” Edelgard met her at her side again. “Empire matters. You were saying something?”

“Y-yes. Edie, I was wondering, do you know of the myth of the Goddess Tower?”

Dorothea was surprised to see Edelgard’s eyes light up at the mention of its name.

“Actually… I am familiar with it. It’s where my father met my mother, many many years ago.” The tips of her ears flushed red. “The myth holds a special place in my heart in that regard, as silly as it sounds.”

Dorothea’s heart lurched in her chest. Could this idea actually be… _better_ than expected? “Oh, Edie, it’s not silly at all! I feel just the same way! In fact... The myth says if two people go there on the night of the ball, any wish they make will come true, right?” She paused, taking in a deep breath. “Well, I was wondering, if maybe you’d come to the goddess tower with m-”

“YOUNG EDELGARD! My oh my, look at you tonight!” Alois bumbled over to the pair, quite clearly not on his first drink of the evening. “I’ve just spoken to Claude, and before that Dimitri, I figured I’d have to come pick you out too! My, you three students have thrown the most wonderful ball I’ve seen in all my years at Garreg Mach- and there’s been a lot of them! I’ve seen more academy balls than there are stars in the sky, so do know that I’m telling you the truth when I say this must be the most elaborate one yet. You three have so much to be proud of! Say, did I ever tell you I met my wife at one of these? I believe it was year 1165? No, it must have been 1166…”

Dorothea let out a sigh to no one but herself as Edelgard sank into a friendly conversation with the professor, and she began to wonder if she was purposefully turning a blind eye to what the signs were screaming.

Maybe this wasn’t… _the_ night. Maybe her delusions of romance had simply taken the reigns once again, and she was inevitably going to be disappointed no matter how the evening ended, simply because she had hyped herself up into such a tizzy.

Maybe an evening spent in Edelgard's company was more than enough.

When Alois finally spotted Flayn and Seteth in the distance and ran off to harass them in Edelgard’s stead, Dorothea said nothing, choosing to relish in the pleasance of the silence instead.

She was surprised, though, when she turned back, to see a hand outstretched towards _her._

“I owe a lot of dances tonight, as house leader and all. Be my first, Dorothea?”

Dorothea had studied hard these months when it came to the other girl’s smiles. And yet the gentle, loose grin settled on her face was one she was utterly unfamiliar with.

“Anything you ask of me, Edie, you know that!”

And so, the pair danced. And then Edelgard danced with Ferdinand, and Dorothea with Petra. And then Edelgard with Dimitri, and Dorothea with Manuela. And then Edelgard with Byleth, and Dorothea with Sylvain. And finally, the two met for one last dance, before the duties of a House Leader monopolized Edelgard’s evening for good.

Dorothea returned to her chambers alone, and she was surprisingly alright with that. No matter where life and love took the two of them, no matter how strange the world got, she would always walk the path nearest to Edelgard’s. And that might just be enough for her.

————

_Four._

Okay, so when she mentioned the world getting strange, she hadn’t realized exactly _how_ strange the world could get. 

And it had gotten _pretty_ damn strange.

Why, one may ask? It’s not like Edelgard turned the world upside down by forcibly ascending the throne and declaring war on the church and Fodlan and all its allies.

Except three years ago, to the shock of no one more than Dorothea, that’s exactly what happened.

They were now midway through said war, and as Dorothea sprawled over the chaise lounge in the Strike Force meeting room, she pondered how different the world had become, yet how the things most important to her had stayed the same. Sure, the world was metaphorically on fire, and it was the secret love of her life that had simultaneously set that fire and was now attempting to douse it, but what do details like that matter to the Official Advisor of the Emperor?

To be honest, once the shock had passed, she was surprisingly… quite okay with it. Topple the nobility, dismantle the crest system, and free Fodlan from centuries of oppression at the hands of the church? Sounded great to her. The violence was another question, but one that Dorothea chose not to ponder often lest she lose her enthusiasm for the cause, choosing instead to spend her days helping with the practicalities of running their base of operations in the now-repopulated monastery. 

As Ferdinand, Hubert, Lysithea (the Deer girl had defected to the Eagles during the Battle of Garreg Mach, and was now a trusted leader in their ranks), and Edelgard held a late-night strategy meeting, Dorothea laid back and ever-so-patiently awaited its end. After all, Edelgard had promised to join her for an after-hours tea session when it concluded.

“No, Hubert. This development is completely unacceptable, and I don't know why your sources didn’t alert us of the problem sooner.”

“Lady Edelgard, my humblest apologies, I-”

A sigh from the emperor. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault, it’s simply… frustrating.”

Lysithea huffed, crossing her arms. Why was she sitting at the head spot of the table the four of them were huddled over instead of Edelgard, Dorothea wondered? “That’s most certainly an understatement. It sounds like the crop problems on the Brionac Plateau have been brewing in the background for almost a year now. Why on earth would they not report it to us?!”

“Likely a matter of pride for the noble houses in the region.” Ferdinand interjected. “How must they be feeling, not able to provide for their people as they should? We must take upholding their dignity into account as well.”

Dorothea rolled her eyes. There the fool was, off about his precious ‘noble houses’ for the ten thousandth time. How much easier would this all be if they didn’t have to mind them as always?

“Ferdinand is right… unfortunately.” Hubert sighed as he took a sip from the mug of coffee at his right, annoyed by having to give credit to the other man. “At this point, the noble houses are still the figurehead of authority on the Plateau, and if they falter in any way, the Western Church is certain to break through the border. Additionally, their leadership is still needed for the troops in the area.”

Dorothea watched Edelgard carefully, as she rubbed her temples with with both hands. How could she still look so commanding, so powerful even when kicked down and frustrated on a late night like this?  When would this war be over, so she could realize there was more to life than just war, and strategy meetings, and crops and nobles and battles again? No one deserved the peace at this point more than her.

Ferdinand glanced twice at the clock at the back of the room, before standing up tall in his chair. “Lady Edelgard… my apologies. It’s past midnight now, and Lysithea and I are leading that raid into the Alliance in the morning. There are still several things to prepare before then. Would it be alright to take our leave, and continue these discussions when we return?”

The Emperor let out a sigh and waved her hand for them to excuse themselves, clearly too tired to form a proper response. How many nights had she gone without sleep now? Maybe a nice massage was a better way for her to offer her company tonight, to allow her to let loose for a couple hours and truly relax.

The room was calmer as the two generals shut the door behind them, and Dorothea instantly felt more at home. Sure, what was previously a strategy meeting was still technically a strategy meeting, but it was a more familiar environment when it was just the three of them- as one of the Emperor’s closest advisors (and friends), she’d sat in on more meetings between her and Hubert than she could begin to count. Who else would be there for her afterwards, to ease her stress with the laughter only a true friend could bring, to allow her to recharge not as the Emperor, but as simply Edelgard?

“Anyway, Lady Edelgard, I believe this is our best course of action. We have quite a store of food here at Garreg Mach that we can transport over at haste, deliver to the noble houses, and request that they figure out how to distribute it to the p-”

No. That was wrong.

Gods, this was all so _stupid._ All anyone could do was think about these problems from the exact same angles, from the perspective of a noble, and if Dorothea had to listen to even another second of their drivel, she thought her head might burst.

She kicked her shoe off hard into the bookcase ahead of her, the noise drawing the attention of the room back to her little corner. 

“Hubie, this plan is foolishness to the highest degree. Strike an alliance with the towns just north of the border, their agriculture industry is more than plentiful, and they’ve been abused by the power of the Western church for decades. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to make a trade deal with the Empire, grains and meat in exchange for manpower. Secondly, you _must_ mandate that the noble houses aren’t storing reserves for the winter yet- who knows how much they have that could be feeding the people who are starving now? If there’s no troops by winter, what’s the point? Finally, Arundel is just east of the Plateau, isn’t that school of engineering located there? Appoint some engineers to go work on irrigation techniques and the lot, and as a whole inspect their harvest methods. If the whole country is doing fine, there must be a bug in something that they’re doing that’s causing their crops to collapse. It’s really not that hard to figure out.”

…The room descended into silence.

“Anyway, onto more important matters, Edie, do you like girls?”

Hubert regretted choosing that moment to take another sip out of his mug, as coffee went sputtering out of his mouth and onto the documents covering the table.

“L-Lady Edelgard!” His face devolved into shock, possibly the most emotive display that Dorothea had seen from him in years. “My profuse apologies, I don’t know what overcame me, damn it all, I’ll have these documents rewritten at once! Dorothea, I do not know what nonsense you are trying to pull, but-”

Edelgard sat still in her seat, leaning into her intercrossed hands, the wheels visibly turning in her head behind her eyes.

Dorothea wondered if she even heard that last part, or any of Hubert’s following grovels. Her mind had always had the ability to super-focus like that, once it latched on to something.

“She’s completely right. Dorothea, as always, your genius never fails to amaze me.”

“E-excuse me? Lady Edelgard, you can’t possibly think-”

Edelgard slowly stood up from her seat across from her aide. “Hubert, have letters sent out to the Arundel engineering school first thing with the morning. By nightfall tomorrow, I want you to have picked a team to accompany you to the Plateaus to explain the new mandates with the noble houses, and to represent me while speaking to the Kingdom folk. No more discussion on the matter, it’s my final decision.”

The air in the room stood still as he processed all his new-found responsibility. 

“And now, I need rest. Thank you, Hubert.” She pushed her chair out behind her weakly, and made her way softly to the door, only pausing to look back once she was halfway out of it.

“Dorothea? What will you be doing now?”

Dorothea kicked her feet in the air, swinging herself up so she was perched on the edge of the chaise lounge. “Well what will you be doing, Edie? I figured I’d accompany you wherever that may be. How does a massage sound to you”

The weak smile she offered in return made Dorothea’s heart swell. It would never stop being amazing to Dorothea, that someone as small as her, a commoner, an orphan, could have any impact on the life of the most important person on the entire continent. 

“Shall we, my friend?”

————

_Five._

“…But I do regret to inform you that you won't be playing the role of Edelgard.”

Dorothea blinked as she processed the line in her mind, trying to suss out its hidden meaning.

The two girls sat in the open air of a field, a half mile away from the monastery’s prying eyes and nosy stares. It was one of the Emperor’s few days of repose in the five years since the beginning of the war, granted to her by the occasion of her birthday and by virtue of the war’s end now within sight, and Dorothea was determined to let her breathe for every single moment of it. 

It was rare that she allowed herself to be spotted outside her quarters in anything other than full military regalia, but the two of them, alone here, together, were allowed to dress down to their heart’s content, Dorothea in a tunic and slacks and Edelgard in an old nightgown. The two of them were wrapped up within a giant shawl that Bernadetta had knitted for another of Edelgard’s birthdays several years ago.

“And why's that?”

“Don't you see? No story about me would be complete without the character of Dorothea. It would be ridiculous for you to play me instead of yourself.”

Dorothea froze for a moment, before bursting out into genuine laughter, falling back onto the soft grass, and pulling Edelgard down with her, still tangled in the shawl.

“Oh, Edie…” She beamed, lying back and turning her head to face the other girl’s. “You really are something special.”

“To hear such praise from someone such as yourself? My, my, Dorothea. How will I ever recover?”

Dorothea stuck her tongue out and launched herself as an attack onto Edelgard, wrestling back and forth with her til they had rolled several feet away from their picnic basket, a blur of tangled hair and limbs, of laughter, and teasing, and life. 

“Do you remember, Edie? When we were young, in our academy days? We could finish our assignments early and just spend hours doing exactly this, without a care in the world about how the rest of our days would play out.”

Edelgard chuckled. “Well, remember those days were tenser for me than for others. Hubert and I still had the revolution in the works, and planning that was more than a full-time job.” She poked her lightly in the shoulder. “But… it was never anything a warm afternoon with you couldn’t heal. It seems you were, and still are the only one who can get me to relax like this. I hardly understand who I become on days like this with you.”

After all the time that had passed, Dorothea wasn't sure why she said what she said next. Was it fuelled by an onslaught of nostalgia, for the golden years of youth they’d had snatched away from them? Was it out of regret, that she had missed her chance to try to live them anyway?

“You’re so dear to me, Edie.”

The slow breeze blew by as Edelgard propped herself up on an elbow, gazing down at Dorothea below, a stark change from their usual altitudes.

“And you are even dearer to me, Dorothea.”

It wasn’t enough.

“I really do mean it when I say I love you. I always have.”

Edelgard paused, before letting herself fall back down to the grass, silver hair spilling loose around her. “I would be nowhere without you. The _Empire_ would be nowhere without you. Your loving friendship is the greatest boon I could have ever hoped for on this journey. 

…Ah.

She still didn't understand, did she?

Five, six years ago, Dorothea’s heart would have sank at those words. But now, look at what they had been through together. Through war, through battle and certain death, through changing landscapes and revolution, through the destruction of the society they both knew and understood into a new dawn, always together.

Edelgard didn’t understand. Edelgard didn’t think of her that way, and that was’t her fault. She was fulfilled by what they had, never yearning for more, and Dorothea was okay with that. If it was enough for Edelgard, it _had_ to be enough for her too.

And so it was.

Dorothea took the other girl’s hand within hers, and gave it a squeeze. “Count on me until the end of time. It’s all I ask of you.”

And she meant it.

————

_ \+ One More. _

Nobody told Dorothea the day the war ended.

The generals knew to pull out their forces.

The troops knew to put down their tomes and axes.

The people knew to rejoice in the streets, and hug, and kiss, and return home to finally visit their families again. 

But it wasn’t until she returned to Garreg Mach, late one night after a two-week solo journey to deliver a new piece to the Mittelfrank Opera in Enbarr that Dorothea was greeted frantically at the entrance by Hubert, relaying the message that the Emperor needed to see her at once.

And so there Dorothea stood, travel bags still in hand as Edelgard proudly presented her the peace treaty they had signed earlier that week. It took several minutes for the information to process (The war was… over? We had won? We actually did it?) and for her to realize that Edelgard was crying, and so Dorothea started crying too, and there, in Edelgard’s chambers the two girls held each other and wept. Tears of happiness and pride, of sadness for the years and lives that they lost along the way, of relief, that at last, something good may come of it.

The passing of time felt impossible to understand in those moments, but in a way, it almost felt like the clocks had started moving again, after millennia at a standstill.

Dorothea read the treaty several times over, just to make sure she wasn’t making it up in her head. 

Edelgard laughed, and read it with her, pointing out which parts had been written by her, which by Dimitri and which by Claude- both kings of their own countries now, could you believe?

But it was time. The Empire had won, and both territories would be put under her jurisdiction. Edelgard could finally take the next step towards shaping the new world they all had dreamed of.

Dorothea couldn’t even feign surprise when she eventually looked out the window to see the sun beginning to rise. They had been talking it over for hours after all, and it was almost poetic, in a way, to watch the dawn together. 

“Ah. I should be getting my bags back to my own quarters, don’t you think?” Dorothea chuckled, standing up off the Emperor’s bed that they both had been sprawled across the last hour and stretching her arms out wide above her. 

But as she moved to take the first step towards the door, she felt her wrist suddenly caught in a warm embrace.

“…Wait.”

A warm smile from Dorothea. “What, Edie, all night of me not enough? C’mon! Let’s get freshened up and meet in the dining hall for breakfast. The first breakfast back in a peaceful world, could you have ever imagined it?”

“That’s not…” 

Edelgard looked up slowly to meet her gaze.

After years of practice, Dorothea had reading her silent expressions down to a science now, she’d like to think. So what, on such a joyous occasion, was she doing with… _fear_ in her eyes?

“Edie…?” Dorothea brows furrowed with concern, and she returned to her perch on the edge of the bed to sit next to her. “Is everything alright?

The other girl’s voice was quieter when she opened it to speak again. “This. All of this. None of it is actually why I had Hubert call you up here last night.”

…What was she talking about? Dorothea brought up a hand to gently cup the side of her face, running her thumb back and forth on her cheek. “Is… Is something else wrong in the world? Is there more conflict ahead regardless?”

“Dorothea, I….” Edelgard swallowed, clearly having not rehearsed whatever she was going to say next. “I asked him to send you here because I wanted to be near you. I wanted to see you, for the first time in a world where there weren’t so many burdens on my shoulders. Where I could be free to…” Her words trailed off into silence.

“Edie…” Dorothea offered a mildly confused smile. “You know I’m always around to be near you. I have been all this time, what makes you think that would change going forward?”

A short pause, before Edelgard erupted in a fit of giggles, in a light-filled, true bout of laughter, the likes of which Dorothea had never seen in all their years.

She swung her arms up to wrap around Dorothea’s neck, idly tangling her fingers in her long, unbrushed hair. “All this time. All this time, and everything we’ve been through, and you don’t understand? I’ve always thought you to be so clever, Dorothea. Maybe that opinion needs some revising.”

“You’re still confusing me.”

“Then why don’t I show you?”

And so, Edelgard brought those hands to the back of her head, pulled her, in, and kissed her.

And Dorothea understood. And she understood that Edelgard understood too. That she had _always_ understood. That every single interaction, every moment of every year they had spent together had been punctuated by a love left undeclared, a love that had to be sidelined no longer.

The world was new. The world was young again. Anything was possible. And Edelgard and Dorothea would walk, hand-in-hand, into it blindly.


End file.
